Nice Guy Syndrome

2011 Dallas Cowboys Season Preview

The Dallas Cowboys got to their typical late-season meltdown much faster than usual last year. By the second week of November they were 1-7 and handing Coach Wade Phillips his walking papers. Though there were questionable tactical measures, the losing was primarily a consequence of sloppy execution. Many players simply lost their focus.

It speaks volumes about the team’s character that this happened under an easygoing coach like Phillips. It’s one thing for players to lose respect for a polarizing personality like a Brad Childress or a Bill Callahan; it’s another  for them to lose respect for someone who specifically tries not to make their lives miserable. The Colts never laid down on Tony Dungy.

But fangless coaches, like the late-season meltdowns, are another of the Cowboys’ repeated patterns. It’s no secret that Jerry Jones has a fondness for hiring softy head coaches who can double as yes-men. Remember Dave Campo? Chan Gailey? Barry Switzer? Everyone, especially the players, knew these “leaders” were second in command to Jones. The only two head coaches who did not settle for riding shotgun were Bill Parcells and Jimmy Johnson, both of whom, not coincidentally, spearheaded the personnel decisions and built long-lasting foundations for success. Johnson brought forth the early-90s dynasty; Parcells stockpiled this current club with many of the cogs you see today ( Tony Romo , Miles Austin , Andre Gurode , Jason Witten , Jay Ratliff , Bradie James , DeMarcus Ware and Terence Newman ).

So which category does Jason Garrett fall into? Distant observers who heard about Garrett’s new sheriff attitude and  his extra padded practices late last season, and who saw the Cowboys go 5-3 under him, would surmise that he’s in that Johnson-Big Tuna camp. But those closer to the organization say no, he’s another “really nice guy.”

Despite what our talking heads culture says, it’s impossible to analyze and predict the effect that personalities will have on a football team. Eric Mangini was a hardnosed disciplinarian when he won in New York and a first-class jerk when he lost in Cleveland. Tom Coughlin supposedly couldn’t relate to his players…until the Giants won a Super Bowl in the 2007 season. Tony Dungy was too nice a guy to push a team over the hump…before he did with the ’06 Colts.

Nice Guy Syndrome | People Skills Decoded

A long time ago (or maybe not so long), it was beyond my understanding how being a nice guy can be a bad thing. I thought that the nicer you were the better results you got: in your relationships, your career and your life as a whole.

Then I learned about the nice guy syndrome and I embarked in one of the most electrifying personal development journeys in my life.

The nice guy syndrome refers to a behavioral pattern in some men of being very nice to others.

The typical nice guy puts other people’s needs first, always helps others, avoids confrontation, does chivalrous things, and is proud of it. His nice behavior is particularly obvious with women.